Game immersion experience: its hierarchical structure and impact on game‐based science learning

Abstract

Many studies have shown the positive impact of serious educational games (SEGs) on learning outcomes. However, there still exists insufficient research that delves into the impact of immersive experience in the process of gaming on SEG-based science learning. The dual purpose of this study was to further explore this impact. One purpose was to develop and validate an innovative measurement, the Game Immersion Questionnaire (GIQ), and to further verify the hierarchical structure of game immersion by construct validity approaches, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 257) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 1044). The second purpose was to investigate the impact of game immersion on science learning through SEG play (n = 260). Overall, the results supported the internal structure of the GIQ with good reliability and validity, and the inter factor bivariate correlations for each construct indicated a high internal consistency. Players did learn from playing an SEG, and game immersion experience did lead to higher gaming performance. Moreover, players' gaming performance plays a role in mediating the effect of immersion on science learning outcomes through SEG play. However, as players became more emotionally and subjectively attached to the game, the science learning outcomes were not definitively reliable.

Challenging games help students learn: An empirical study on engagement, flow and immersion in game-based learning

“…Moreover, performance has been found to mediate the effect of immersion on science learning (Cheng et al, 2015). In the present study immersion did not have significant relationship with perceived learning.…”

“…However, currently there is a dearth of studies that investigate the relationship between immersion and learning in game-based learning environments. The only study (as far as we know) that does so, by Cheng, She, and Annetta (2015), found that immersion has a positive impact on learning outcomes especially when the players gaming performance was high.…”

A multilevel analysis of diverse learners playing life science video games: Interactions between game content, learning disability status, reading proficiency, and gender

“…This study built upon findings from research examining science video games that found positive learning and attitude outcomes for students who participated in science video games, but also alluded to a complex interplay between demographic variables that could influence engagement and performance (e.g., Cheng et al, ; Schifter, Ketelhut, & Nelson, ). This study was guided by three research questions that sought to evaluate whether differences in student performance during video game enhanced life science units were due to (1) demographic variables related to learning disability (2) NAEP reading scores (3) gender, (4) attitudes about science learning and careers, (5) attitudes about the use of video games for learning science, and (6) interactions among both demographic variables and attitudes about science learning, careers, and video games.…”

Using commercial video games in flipped classrooms to support physical concept construction

“…Games that address educational objectives and content are increasingly being tested in terms of academic learning outcomes, learner motivation, and the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and other skills (Cheng, She, & Annetta, 2015;Gee, 2003;Inal & Cagiltay, 2007;Yun, Jiang, & Li, 2010). In light of the effort and resources required to develop new "edutainment games," existing commercial games are being tested as less expensive options for digital game-based learning (DGBL), to the degree that a new pedagogical category has been created: commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) DGBL (Clark et al, 2011;Girard, Ecalle, & Magnan, 2013;Proctor & Marks, 2013;Van Eck, 2006;Whitton, 2012;Yang, 2012).…”